


Getting Ready for a Solo Flight

by completelyhopeless



Series: Puzzle Pieces of Us [4]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Comment Fic, Community: comment_fic, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-03-13 05:32:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3369659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/completelyhopeless/pseuds/completelyhopeless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dick and Bruce discuss an upcoming mission, one that Dick is about to take alone, the one that starts him down the path of Nightwing. After all, he can't be Robin when he's undercover.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Getting Ready for a Solo Flight

**Author's Note:**

> So I am just kind of bouncing between ideas because everything I wrote for my series has been kind of... um... bad? I don't know. I feel like I'm ruining them. 
> 
> I decided to go in a different direction. I wanted to try original fiction, but so far no go. Instead, I remembered I was going to do [this prompt](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/593598.html?thread=82873790#t82873790) for Tuxedo_elf. Only I found I needed to work through some ideas first, which may lead to [this prompt](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/593598.html?thread=82892478#t82892478) getting filled but for now, as sad as it is, I am filling my own prompt: [_Young Justice. Dick Grayson. How he changed from Robin to Nightwing in the time between seasons one and two._](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/593598.html?thread=82891198#t82891198)
> 
> I've read some fics that touch on this, but since most universes have a fight/distance between Dick and Bruce being the answer and that not really seeming the case in the Young Justice world, I wanted a reason that kept them close and yet still made sure that Dick moved on from being Robin... This was the idea I came up with. At least, this is the start of it.

* * *

“Are you sure about this, Dick?”

Hearing his name made him stop, frowning slightly behind the mask. It wasn't that Bruce never called him by his name. That wasn't how they were. Yeah, they had nicknames, and Dick butchered the English language enough to annoy almost everyone, but they'd never really had a problem using each other's names, even in the Batcave.

Except... Batman _never_ used Robin's real name when they were in costume.

“Why are you asking me that? Don't you... You don't think I can do this?”

Batman shook his head, putting a hand on Dick's shoulder. “I do. I am, however, concerned, that this might be a reaction to recent events with the team.”

“The team? Why would you think that? The team is great. It's fine. It's totally asterous.” Dick saw Batman fight a smile and knew it was totally worth using that word. “You know I'm fine, right? I know you thought that the thing with Haly's—I'm good. And the simulation wasn't—We're good.”

“I've seen you in action. You're better than good,” Batman said with pride, and Dick smiled, knowing this conversation would never be happening outside of the Batcave. “Is this about me? About having to fight us when we were under Savage's control?”

Dick swallowed. “You know, a part of me always kind of wondered what would happen if I had to fight you. If I could win. I... I always wanted to be able to win.”

That got him another quirk of a smile. “And you did.”

“But that is _not_ why I wanted to do this,” Dick told him. “Ever since my parents died, you... You and Alfred took care of me. You _are_ like a father to me. I know we don't really say that, and I never call you 'Dad' or anything, but it's true. We are family. I'm not doing this... to hurt you. Or to run away.”

“You sure about that?”

“What, you think because I'm talking about sending 'Dick Grayson' on a semester abroad and giving up 'Robin' to go undercover I'm running away?” Dick shook his head. “I'm not. I know I got asked to do this by the League because I have the best training for it, and I know I _can_ do this, but I'm not doing it because I want to run away. I'm doing this because it's who I am and it's what you taught me to do.”

Batman nodded. “I know. And I know you can do this. You were practically born to do this.”

Dick blinked, looking up at his mentor. “Bruce, are you... Are _you_ the one that doesn't want me to go?”

“The team won't be happy when you go. You are their friend, a founding member, and they need you. You are the most experienced member on it, even if you are perhaps not the most mature.”

“That is not what I asked.”

Bruce was quiet for a moment before he pushed off the cowl. “What father wants to put his son in danger? What crime fighter wants to lose his partner?”

“Well, the answer should be no one, which doesn't technically make sense but it's also not true and most crime fighters—” Dick didn't get to finish as his adoptive father pulled him into a hug that was almost bone-crushing. “Okay, weird. Usually I'm the one doing the hugs and you're pretending you hate them. You really are worried about me, aren't you?”

“You won't have any backup, Dick. Not me, not the League, not your team. If anything happened to you—”

“It won't. And you know what? You won't be alone, either.”

Bruce looked down at him, frowning. “What are you up to?”

“Well, let's face it—if I leave, people will start talking about what happened to Robin. And not only would that cause a few doubts—on my secret identity but also on my cover—you shouldn't be out there alone. You know who I would pick to back you up—”

“Kid Flash is the Flash's sidekick.”

“Yes, but that's not even who I—”

“And Barbara Gordon is off-limits.”

Dick rolled his eyes. Sometimes Bruce did know him too well. “I still think she'd be a natural at this. And you know what else? I'm pretty sure she knows who Robin _and_ Batman are.”

“Suspicion is one thing. Knowing is another.”

Dick shook his head. “Fine. I just think—Well, leaving aside Babs and all—I think you need someone to fill in as Robin while I'm gone. Don't say you don't—you _do._ You need someone to challenge you and someone to watch your back and someone who needs you as much as I do.”

“Taking you in was different. And I don't want a replacement for you. It wouldn't be fair to you or the kid in your place.”

Dick ended up twisting his lip as he thought. “Realistically, though, we don't know how long I'm going to be gone if I do this. It could be weeks. It could even be... years. And if Robin disappears like that, people will think he's dead. And if Robin is dead—”

“Stop it.”

“Bruce, you need someone around to keep you from being the man you were becoming when we first met. You need a Robin. I won't go if I don't know you're going to be okay while I'm gone.”

“I will be.”

“And don't pretend you haven't been thinking about taking Jason in,” Dick said, smiling. “I know you too well for that. Any other little punk would have had the fear of the bat put into him. You didn't do that to him. You saw something there, didn't you? Just like you did with me.”

“Dick—”

“And you have a few weeks while I'm still here for me to help with his training before I go undercover.”

“He won't be you.”

“He doesn't have to be.”

Bruce grunted. “I'll take it under advisement.”

Dick smiled. He knew he'd already won.


End file.
